Panasonic Lumix GF3 + 14-42mm Black

With the GF3, Panasonic continues to court the mass-market, with a camera that furthers its trend of simplification and new-user befriending. It's a gentle refresh of the GF2 but one from which even more controls (as well as size and weight) have been removed. It's still a 12MP camera but the addition of the latest three-core Venus Engine FHD processor gives it the impressive speed of its G3 and GH2 siblings.Building on the simple touchscreen design of the GF2, the GF3 loses Panasonic's signature rear click-dial, instead making do instead with a compact camera-style dial around the four-way controller.

The world’s smallest and lightest system camera* offers superb image quality and an advanced AF system

Slim, stylish and easy to use, the LUMIX DMC-GF3 captures the moments you want to remember in exceptional detail. Panasonic’s new LUMIX DMC-GF3, is the world's smallest and lightest* interchangeable lens LUMIX G system camera, reduced approximately 17% in size and approximately 15% in weight compared with the DMC-GF2. It is designed to help you get more from every moment. Easy to use, bursting with features and weighing just 225g, the LUMIX GF3 puts DSLR image quality in the palm of your hand.

*For an interchangeable lens system camera with a built-in flash as of 13th June 2011

Capture every precious moment

Now you never need to regret ‘the one that got away’; that perfect picture you weren’t fast enough to catch, because the DMC-GF3 incorporates the world’s fastest*1 pinpoint auto focus speed, at approximately 0.1 second*2. The ingenious Light Speed AF system gives the DMC-GF3 an accuracy and speed that rivals the performance of high-end DSLRs. A wide range of AF modes are available, including multiple-area AF with up to 23 focus areas, Face Detection, and AF Tracking, meaning the DMC-GF3 can lock onto any subject and keep it in focus even if it moves.

*1 The time for focusing on the subject is measured with the LUMIX G VARIO HD 14-140mm / F4.0-5.8 ASPH. / MEGA O.I.S. (H-VS014140) to move the lens position to “2m” from “infinity” position. The zoom position is in wide range. Panasonic measurement method.

The iA (Intelligent Auto) Plus will satisfy experienced photographers, yet is easy enough for beginners to use comfortably in both photo and video recording. Defocusing area, exposure compensation and white balance can be adjusted for scenes where a slight manual adjustment may bring better results. This popular function is easily operated with a slider on the touch-screen. Additional iA features include AF Tracking, Face Recognition, Intelligent D-range Control, Intelligent Resolution, MEGA O.I.S. (included in the lens), Intelligent ISO Control and Intelligent Scene Selector.

Impressive features in a compact body

A lightweight aluminium body with an ergonomic rounded design means that the Lumix GF3 is both compact and comfortable to hold. Even more impressive is that housed within this camera’s tiny footprint is a built-in flash. It adopts a pop-up mechanism to prevent the darkening or shading that can occur due to the short distance between the flash unit and the interchangeable lens.

Film your masterpiece in the highest quality

Now the DMC-GF3 can record Full HD videos in AVCHD format; featuring almost twice the recording time in HD quality than Motion JPEG. Panasonic’s advanced Auto Focus system with full-time AF and AF tracking ensures high-quality, easy video shooting. Touch the screen, and the camera locks on and automatically “tracks” the subject as it moves, continuing to adjust the focus settings for best results. Dolby® Digital Creator sound is complimented by a microphone on the upper body to record dynamic, true-to-life audio.

Intuitive operation simplifies shooting and playback

The 3.0-inch touch-screen allows you to navigate the menu system more accurately and easily. It includes touch-shutter, touch-AF, touch-playback and more. A newly adopted control dial gives you another avenue for smooth, free control. Just turn it and choose the icons you want to set. It makes complicated settings fun and easy